ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Bo Bichette went deep once more for the playoff-contending Toronto Blue Jays, who then beat Texas with some small ball late.
Bichette homered for the fifth time within the final 4 video games, however the Blue Jays obtained the deciding run on Danny Jansen’s RBI single within the ninth inning for a 4-3 win in Texas on Friday night time, when prime Rangers prospect Josh Jung hit a house run in his first profession at-bat.
Raimel Tapia drew a leadoff stroll within the ninth off Jose Leclerc (0-2), then stole second base after Santiago Espinal was unable to get a bunt down. Tapia moved up one other base when Espinal hit a deep flyout earlier than Jansen looped a single into shallow left-center discipline.
“An important stroll, and stealing second base and the lengthy flyball to maneuver him over to 3rd base, it made my job simpler,” Jansen stated. ‘I simply actually simplified it at that time … simply making an attempt to get one thing in play.”
The Blue Jays maintained a 4 1/2-game lead over Baltimore. the primary crew beneath the American League’s three wild-card spots, with their sixteenth win in 22 video games. They’ve received 13 of their final 15 street video games, together with three of 4 towards the Orioles earlier this week.
“Issues which might be a little bit underrated are Jackie’s protection, and Tapia stealing a base there with two strikes to get in scoring place,” Blue Jays interim supervisor John Schneider stated. “So little issues like that basically helped us tonight.”
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Texas obtained even at 3-3 on Corey Seager’s RBI double within the eighth inning, however he didn’t rating as a result of proper fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. made a operating catch close to the road of Jonah Heim’s slicing flyball.
Bichette’s twenty third homer was a two-run shot within the third inning that put the Blue Jays up 3-0. He additionally drove in a run with a fielder’s selection grounder within the first, a ball that third baseman Jung fielded earlier than making a backhanded flip on the run for a forceout at second base.
Tim Mayza (6-0), the fourth Toronto pitcher, obtained two outs within the eighth earlier than Jordan Romano labored the ninth for his thirty second save in 36 possibilities. With a runner on second, the right-hander Romano struck out Jung and obtained pinch-hitter Adolis Garcia on an game-ending flyout.
The one runner allowed by right-hander Ross Stripling the primary two occasions by way of the Texas lineup was Jung’s homer main off the third.
“I don’t even assume I used to be aware operating across the bases. Simply put a superb swing on it,” Jung stated. ”Trying in my lane, and if a pitch confirmed up there, I used to be swinging. However I didn’t need to be too timid.”
Second baseman Marcus Semien had a two-out double within the sixth off Stripling to increase the longest lively on-base streak within the majors to twenty video games. Seager adopted with an RBI single to snap an 0-for-25 hunch for the All-Star shortstop.
Jung, the the eighth general select of Texas Tech within the 2019 draft, is anticipated to complete this season as the first third baseman for the Rangers. He might need earned that chance in spring coaching, however wanted surgical procedure in February to restore a torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder. He hit six homers in 23 video games at Triple-A Spherical Rock the previous month.
Bichette, who added a triple within the eighth earlier than Brock Burke struck out consecutive batters, had three homers within the second sport of a doubleheader Monday at Baltimore, then went deep once more Tuesday.
SHORT HOPS
The one different Texas batter to homer in his first MLB at-bat was Jurickson Profar at Cleveland in 2012. … Jung is the seventh participant to make his large league debut this season for the Rangers. He’s the third participant to take action at third base.
STRIPLING’S START
Stripling struck out 4 whereas permitting two runs over six innings in his a centesimal large league begin — and two hundredth sport general. He threw solely 68 pitches.
THE SKY ABOVE
The retractable roof at Globe Life Discipline was open for the primary time since a 3-1 win over Atlanta on April 30. The Rangers had performed 54 dwelling video games in a row with the roof closed. It was 87 levels at first pitch.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was positioned on the 10-day injured record with a left hamstring pressure. Gurriel was harm when hustling to beat out a double-play grounder of their sequence finale at Baltimore.
Rangers: García was out of the beginning lineup for the second sport in a row. He’s nonetheless sore after coming down awkwardly when leaping on the wall on Jose Altuve’s homer in Houston on Tuesday night time. … .INF/OF Brad Miller was positioned on the 10-day injured record with a proper hip pressure, creating a gap roster spot for Jung. Miller hadn’t performed since Aug. 31.
UP NEXT
Proper-hander Kevin Gausman (11-9, 3.12 ERA) has gone 3-0 over his previous 4 begins — and the Blue Jays have received every of these video games. RHP Kohei Arihara (1-2, 5.29) makes his fourth large league begin since Texas introduced him up from Triple-A Spherical Rock on Aug. 16.
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